


ready for those flashing lights

by rarepersimmon



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, I guess????, Rated for language and violence, Songfic, audy is sadly missing ://, i dont know what this is just. take it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24767482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarepersimmon/pseuds/rarepersimmon
Summary: Very little could go wrong.Except, apparently, a fucking assassination attempt.
Relationships: Cassander Timaeus Berenice & Aria Joie
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	ready for those flashing lights

**Author's Note:**

> so listen. I've watched [this video](https://youtu.be/Z2PJ46Uro5k) fifteen times and I can't think about anything else. Also I haven't listened to C/W in like two years so sorry for that
> 
> title is, surprisingly! From Paparazzi by Lady Gaga!

In her defense, it seemed like a good plan at the time.

They needed to get near an EarthHome higher-up. Someone involved with the famed pop star Aria Joie. Fake a few records, get the actual Aria Joie into a rehearsal, take care of the actual job while she was onstage.

(The plan had nothing to do with Aria's desire to perform one last time, or Mako's insistence on dramatic plot development, or Cass' secret love of over-complicated plans, or AuDy's need to get them all off of the ship. Not at all.)

They thought it out. Discussed it for a week. Aria pulled an all-nighter to practice. Very little could go wrong. Except, apparently, a fucking assassination attempt. 

It's the final number. Aria nails the quick change she was worried about. Grinning as the audience explodes into cheers, she spins to start off the breathless choreography. (As it turns out, changing from a hologram to a human person last minute doesn't leave a lot of room for rest.) Near the end of the second verse, Aria hits a note that sounds higher than it is and takes a breath before the chorus. 

And gets shot right in the shoulder. 

(Later, slightly dazed from the blood loss, Aria laughs that the shooter chose the one day she was actually onstage. Cass doesn't find it as funny.)

She chokes on her breath, stumbling a step forward. Her metallic hand (worked into the outfit, the costume team are geniuses) touches the area and comes away wet. Still in shock, she looks out to the audience blankly. 

She can't see any faces, of course, but the cheering is interspersed with gasps and hushed conversations. The first measures of the chorus play unaccompanied. Aria is stock-still. 

She has a vague thought that she needs to keep singing. Probably an instinct leftover from when she lived by "the show must go on."

She picks up the third line of the chorus. Most of the energy that was spent dancing is devoted to keeping herself upright, and her voice is a bit muffled to her own ears. She leans into the dramatics of Being Shot, which isn't that hard. Maybe she can make it seem like a publicity stunt or something.

She thinks she does alright.

Right as the song is winding down, and blood is actively dripping through her fingers (gross), her legs start to falter. She takes a step back, two, until she's framed on both sides by backup dancers (who, in their panic, stuck to the original number. Legends, every one of them). Then, as deliberately as she can, she drops to her knees and--

 _Woah,_ her vision did not like that. Between the black spots and the yelling in her earpiece (oh yeah, the mission), she isn't very focused.

Still, she doesn't miss the cheering that explodes once the music stops. She smiles. Success.

Someone puts a hand under her elbow and helps her stand, and oh, there's the pain that comes with being shot. She grimaces and does her best to stumble offstage in a straight line.

Once she's backstage, she's eased onto a chair in a corner. Someone disconnects her mic, first. Very smart. Then, someone else tries to move her hand away from her shoulder. She blinks up at them.

"Oh, Cass."

They replace her hand with theirs, applying enough pressure that it hurts. "What happened?"

She hisses, trying to pull away from their touch. The back of the chair stops her. "I think...someone tried to kill me."

Cass rummages in their bag with one hand. "Solid theory," they hum.

"How'd Mako do?" Aria asks, because if she has to feel this shitty it should be for a good reason.

"Fine. Planted the contract and got out."

"Good, that's good." Aria looks down at herself, and wow! That is lot of blood! "Am I gonna die, Cass?" she asks conversationally.

"You'll be fine," Cass responds faintly. They lay out a few things pick up a pair of tweezers. Their hand shakes around it. "I've seen you die before. It looks worse than this." 

They let out a long breath. "I have to get this bullet out..." A bullet? Who uses bullets anymore? That would explain all of the blood, but-- "...worse, but you're gonna be fine."

Aria nods, then quickly decides to stop moving. "Yep. Got it."

Cass nods in return, then removes the hand applying pressure. Aria focuses her attention on not squirming too badly or punching Cass in the face on reflex. Finally, they pull away. Aria cracks an eye open.

"You are super lucky," Cass mutters, holding a wad of cotton to the wound. It soaks through quickly, and they huff in annoyance before switching it out. 

"I _feel._ Super lucky." Aria grits out. 

"I'm gonna get this wrapped up, then we'll head back to an actual infirmary and I can do something better, alright?"

Aria flashes them a thumbs up with her metal arm. It's still covered in blood, which-- she can't feel it, but it's still concerning. Mostly because...

"Hey, Cass?"

"Mm?"

"Does blood make things rust?"

"...No," they answer, eyes darting to Aria's hand. "No. Well...maybe? Ask Mako."

Aria nudges her earpiece with a shoulder. "Hey, Mako," She says, hoping he picks up.

"Oh, hey, Aria! Great to know you're not dead."

Aria winces. "Sorry we didn't tell you sooner."

"It's fine. I'm mostly mad at Cass."

"Who can also hear you."

"Well, I am! How hard is it to just go, like, 'hey, Mako, your teammate is alive, actually.'"

"By the way, your teammate is alive, actually." Then, to Aria, "Arm up."

"Anyway, Mako, I wanted to, ah--" Aria grits her teeth as she outstretches her arm. Cass winds some bandages over whatever they taped to the wound. "I wanted to ask you if blood can make something rust."

Mako goes quiet for a bit. "What's the thing?"

"Like, hypothetically, a metal arm."

"Huh." There's a longer pause. "No, apparently. Since there's iron in blood, it can absorb the water. Or, something like that. This article is very old." Aria relaxes a bit. One less thing to worry about.

Cass finishes the dressing with a knot and jabs a finger in Aria's face. "You are never allowed to make fun of me for being paranoid ever again."

Aria pats them on the shoulder and goes to stand up. She doesn't get very far before Cass has to support her. "Thanks for saving my life."

They snort. "Sure."

\--

carr0tcake posted: "ok is anyone gonna mention that aria joie was shot onstage yesterday or"  
SunsetPink22 replied: think it was just a publicity stunt  
carr0tCake: o cool thanks

**Author's Note:**

> comment and tell me what you think :)  
> [or if there are any mistakes please tell me tytytytytyty]


End file.
